Mindful Ink

Yes, you heard me right. Drinking in college.

Cal Newport’s post today at Study Hack really set me to thinking about how much a part of college culture drinking is, and how few people can do so without making a jackass out of themselves.

Many universities these days offer some sort of drinking orientation. Of course this is largely useless, but some good comes out of it from time to time. Still, they don’t really tell you how to drink and not be a schmuck. I enjoy alcohol, and like other students, have drank more than I should on occasion - but I’ve never done anything stupid while intoxicated, and that’s because I followed the rules.

1. Eat! This is very, very, very important. Have food in your belly before you go drinking. Preferably something starchy or protein. You want something with some absorption and weight to it. Maybe a salad will work as well, but obviously if you’re planning on taking down have a keg health is not your first priority. But really, try to get some food in you before (and ideally, during) but avoid greasy, fried foods if at all possible.
2. Rest! If you’re exhausted or have exerted yourself heavily, drinking is going to hit you much more strongly than normal. Try to plan and modify your behavior accordingly. Just because you can normally do 5 jägerbombs without flinching doesn’t mean you can after being awake 36 hrs doing laps.
3. Learn when to stop! This is probably the most important rule in drinking - knowing when to stop. It’s simple, not hard at all, but it does require you to keep a bit of your brain on the task of monitoring just how drunk you are. When you start feeling tipsy, slow down a bit. When you actually start feeling drunk - stop. If you lose your buzz, you can always drink more.
4. Hydration! Now, I assume as a reasonable individual you want to avoid a hangover - besides eating and not drinking too much, there is one golden rule to follow regarding hangovers - drink (water)! Also, something like gatorade is acceptable. And orange juice is great! I generally use gatorade myself, and am just sure to drink a lot of it before I go to bed. Some people also swear by some tylenol or ibuprofen before bed as well.
5. For the love of God - don’t drive! This should seem obvious, but for many it really isn’t. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re okay to drive, don’t take the chance. Even if you can’t get yourself worked up about the idea that you are, indeed, impaired in some way think about this: sober people are pulled over all the time, too. You may not see a stop sign, or forget to use your turn signal. A DUI is a really, really horrible thing to have to deal with both as a massive inconvenience and an expense. Ask around, I’m sure someone you know can tell you all about it.

No doubt I have done something truly horrible in teaching you how to drink properly, but I do this in hopes you will be more responsible in your drinking. And, ideally, you’ll also have more fun.

Study Hacks Back to School Advice You Won’t Find in Your Freshman Handbook

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